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Huge home destroyed by fire

Investigators are not ruling out arson as the cause of a massive house fire in Lac La Belle.

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Updated: 7:18 PM CDT Jun 11, 2013

Huge home destroyed by fire

Investigators are not ruling out arson as the cause of a massive house fire in Lac La Belle.

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Updated: 7:18 PM CDT Jun 11, 2013

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WEBVTT FIRE INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY HAVE NOT RULED OUT ARSON IN A BLAZE THAT GUTTED A HOME IN ONE OF THE AREA'S MOST EXCLUSIVE NEIGHBORHOODS. 12 NEWS KENT WAINSCOTT IS AT THE SCENE IN THE VILLAGE OF LAC LA BELLE. THOSE INVESTIGATORS FROM THE WAUKESHA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT - THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL AND THE A-T-F, SPENT MUCH OF THE DAY EXAMINING THIS SCENE. THAT INVESTIGATION CONTINUES TONIGHT. THE FIRE BROKE OUT AROUND 10-30 LAST NIGHT IN THIS HIGH-END HOME... AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S NOT MUCH LEFT. FLAMES LIT UP THE NIGHT SKY OVER LAC LA BELLE AS THE FIRE TORE THROUGH THIS HOME IN THE CENTER OF THIS EXCLUSIVE SUBDIVISION. STEPHANIE ZINDL LIVES ACROSS THE STREET, AND WATCHED THE FIRE SPREAD QUICKLY. CLIP 4338 @ 11:50:27 - :34 STEPHANIE ZINDL/WITNESS - "I WATCHED THE WHOLE FRONT OF THE HOUSE JUST LIKE COLLAPSE, AND THE WINDOWS POP OUT BECAUSE OF ALL THE FLAMES ON THE INSIDE." CLIP 4344 @ 12:30:04 - :10 KENT - NO ONE WAS HURT IN THE BLAZE. NEIGHBORS TELL US THE LONG- TIME OWNERS OF THE HOUSE WERE OUT OF TOWN WHEN THE FIRE BROKE OUT. ONCE THE FIRE WAS OUT, THE SEARCH WAS ON FOR THE CAUSE. WITH THE WALLS STILL AT RISK OF COLLAPSE, INVESTIGATORS FROM THE ATF, STATE FIRE MARSHAL, DCI AND WAUKESHA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT SURVEYED THE SCENE FROM ABOVE. CLIP 4346 @ 12:48:49 - :58 GLENN LEIDEL/ OCON. FD, DEPUTY CHIEF - THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE AND ATF CAN BRING RESOURCES IN EASILY FOR US THAT WE WOULD NOT NORMALLY HAVE AVAILABLE TO US. LAB WORK, THINGS LIKE THAT. CHIEF LEIDEL SAYS INVESTIGATORS HAVE NOT RULED OUT ARSON - BUT SAID IT WAS TOO SOON TO PINPOINT AN EXACT CAUSE. CLIP 4346 @ 12:47:16 - :21 GLENN LEIDEL/ OCON. FD, DEPUTY CHIEF - WELL AT THIS POINT, NOTHING CONCRETE. WE'RE JUST DOING THE INITIAL SCENE SURVEYS RIGHT NOW. HE SAID IT'S ALSO UNCLEAR WHERE THE FIRE STARTED, BUT NEIGHBORS SAY THEY SAW IT BEGIN TOWARD THE BACK OF THE HOME. CLIP 4338 @ 11:51:48 - :53 STEPHANIE ZINDL/WITNESS - "IN BACK THERE, AND THEN IT JUST KEPT COMING FORWARD. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WAS JUST ALL OVER THE HOUSE. TEN FIRE DEPARTMENTS BATTLED THIS BLAZE FOR NEARLY FOUR HOURS. THE WAUKESHA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT SAYS ONLY THAT IT IS WORKING WITH THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL AND THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSE IS CONTINUING. IN THE VILLAGE OF LAC LA BELLE, I'M KENT WAINSCOTT WISN-12 NEWS. A SHORT TIME LATER,

Huge home destroyed by fire

Investigators are not ruling out arson as the cause of a massive house fire in Lac La Belle.